Folding toy



June 11, 1957 v, c, TQTH 2,795,421

FOLDING TOY Filed June 15, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 3,2 INVENTOR.

VERA CEAWCHUCK TOTH syf i ATTORNEY.

June 11, 1957 v. c. TOTH 2,795,421

I FOLDING TOY Filed June 15, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 juwmrox V Y r VERA CEAWC'HUCK mm By ATTORNEY United States Patent FOLDING TOY Vera C-TOfll, Mahtlifl, Ohio Application June 15,1954, Serial No. 436,769 4 Claims. (Cl. 272-4) My invention relates to toys and concerns particularly folding cardboard toys and methods of making them.

An object of my invention is to provide inexpensive, readily packaged toys, which may be sold in knock-down form and assembled by the customer or the children who are to use the toys. Other objects of my invention are to provide safe, interesting toys which are light in weight and which may be assembled and handled easily by children and may be modified in form or appearance readily by children to enable them to exercise their creative instincts.

Other and further objects and features and advantages of the invention would become apparent as the description proceeds. V

In carrying out my invention in accordance with a preferred form thereof, in making hobby homes or the like, I provide a sheet of cardboard, corrugated paste board or similar material, which is light in weightbut of adequate rigidity, cut out in such outline form that two side portions may be bent up from a base portion to simulate the head and shoulders of a pony, donkey, or other animal of the type corresponding to a riding horse which a child may imagine himself to be riding. The cardboard is preferably so cut as to provide a base portion which is narrower forward, or sector-shaped, so that when the two sides are bent upward, they converge to the front or muzzle portion of the head of the pony or other animal.

The edges of the sheet material have such an outline as to simulate the head, ears, mane, neck, etc. of the animal. Preferably the board of which the hobby horse head is composed is coated with sheet material printed in color, or the cardboard material is directly printed in color so as to give a characteristic representation of the animal.

To simulate the bridle, heavy elastic adhesive tape such as electricians tape is utilized. Preferably the top is packaged with the sheet material ready to be bent up to form, being scored at the two lines where the sides are to .be bent up from the base portion and dotted or dashed lines are printed along the portions of the head where the bridle is to be represented. When the toy is so packaged, a roll of suitable tape such as electricians tape of the scotc type is provided with directions to fasten the tape along the dotted lines on the head. The arrangement is such that electricians tape is bound around the muzzle so as to hold together the two sides of the cardboard sheet material at the muzzle portion of the head. Likewise, the semi elastic electricians tape is bound around the head along the cheeks as around the mouth opening and around the poll or point just behind the ears of the animal so that when the tape has been afiixed, the toy remains assembled as a unitary structure. Straight pieces of elastic tape may be pasted on also to represent the throat latch and the front of the bridle.

A crossshaped opening or pair of intersecting slits is cut into the base portion of the toy for receiving a handle or a broomstick or other stick readily available in the 2,795,421 Patented June 11, 1957 2 average home. Thereby, the handle or stick may be thrust through the opening of the base and isgrasped by the edges of the slits as the material is bent back by forcing the handle through the opening. When the end of the handle is shoved into the head portion between the side pieces of the cardboard, the elasticity of the bridlesimulating tape serves to hold the handle in place at the head end. In this manner an inexpensive easily constructed hobby horse is obtained with a light weight head and a handle supplied by the customer.

A better understanding of the invention will be afforded by the following detailed description considered in con junction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention taking the form of a toy pony head for use as a hobby horse.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the sheet material utilized in forming the head shown in Fig. l and rep-resents the piece of material which may be bent to the form shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the piece illustrated in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an elevation, corresponding to Fig. 1, which illustrates a modified embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 5 is an elevation, corresponding to Fig. 4, illustrating still another embodiment.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view, corresponding to Fig. 5, illustrating a further modification.

Fig; 7 is a fragmentary view illustrating still another modification, and

Fig. 8 is a detailed view, to enlarged scale, of a bit structure, which may be used in the embodiment of Fig. 7.

Like reference characters are utilized throughout the drawing to designate like parts.

There is shown in Fig. 1 a complete toy of inexpensive construction in the form of a childs hobby horse, comprising a head structure 11 adapted to being mounted on a handle comprising a pole or stick 10. The head structure 11 includes a portion 12, simulating the head of a pony, donkey, or the like, and a portion 13, simulating the neck of the animal. The head structure 11 is formed from cardboard, corrugated board, or similar material of the shape shown in Fig. 2 and bent along scored lines 14 to the form shown in Fig. 1. The handle 1t}, shown in fragmentary form, may constitute a broomstick or other stick found in the home and supplied by the customer; whereas the piece 15, shown in Fig. 2, is a flat, relatively stiff sheet which may be made, stored, packaged, and sold inexpensively. Preferably the piece 15 is supplied to the customer, flat, in a package.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention, a piece of twoor three-ply corrugated board or straw" board 16, cut as illustrated in Fig. 3, is either printed in color on one side, with a design such as that illustrated in Fig. 2, or has a separate sheet of material printed in color glued thereto to form the piece 15. As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the design includes the mane 17, the car '18, the forelock 19, eye 21, month '22, and so forth.

On the sheet 15, printed dotted lines 23 are also printed on the head portion 12 to represent the location of the parts of the bridle. Preferably, however, the piece 15 is not packaged or sold with the bridle or bridle-simulating s't'rip in place, but a roll of suitable adhesive tape of appropriate color, such as black, brown, or white, depending on the color printing of the horse and contrasting therewith, is included as a separate article in the package. This gives the customer or older child to whom the toy is given the pleasure and satisfaction of creative etfort in assembling and completing the toy after bending the piece 15 on the scored lines 14.

Preferably, moreover, tape or strip material 24 is provided such as electric scotch tape, which is semielastic in character, and instructions are included in the package explaining the application of such tape to the customer. The adhesive tape 24 is applied along the dotted lines 23 so as to form the side portion 25 of the bridle including cheek and crown pieces. This length of strip is wrapped around the two head portions 12, which have been brought together after folding along the scored lines 14. As shown in Fig. 1, the portion 25 of the strip 24 is wrapped around the poll 26 and the notched portion of the piece 15, forming the mouth 22, so as to bind the two head portions together and prevent disassembly. Moreover, a strip portion 27 is also wrapped fully around the muzzle portion 28 so as to form the nose band of the bridle and bind the strip material together. Another length of adhesive tape 29 is affixed to represent the front strap of the bridle, and if desired, a throatlatch (not shown) may also be represented.

The binding together of the portion of the piece 15, representing the head of the animal, serves the additional advantageous function of providing a resilient grip for the upper end 31 of the handle or stick 10. The natural flexibility of the sheet 16, together with the resiliency of the tape material 24, enables the end 31 of the handle to be pushed far enough into the head portion 12 so that the head structure 11 is well supported on the handle 10.

To receive the stick 10, an opening 32 is provided in the base portion 33 of the piece 15. Preferably the opening 32 consists of a cruciform slit 34, so that in pushing the stick 10 through the opening, the portions of the material on either side of the cruciform slit 34 are bent away and the resistance to bending of the material provides a resilient grip for the portion of the stick 10 thrust through the opening 32.

In the most inexpensive models, satisfactory results are accomplished by punching the cruciform slits 34 in the base portion 32 of the sheet material 16. However, where the desire is to produce durable models, washers 35 of suitable resilient material, such as natural or synthetic rubber or plastic, are cemented to one or both sides of the sheet material in the base portion 33, and the washers 35 are punched along the cruciform slit 34 to provide a pole-gripping opening 32, which will remain effective for a considerable period of time and will withstand frequent insertions and withdrawals of the pole or stick 10.

In the least expensive models of the toy, the sheet has the opening 32 and is also punched with openings 36, partially overlapping the dotted lines 23, representing the position in which the bridle-simulating tape was to be aflixed, in order that a child can thread a length of string, cord, or the like 37 through the opening 36 to represent reins. Metal eyelets may be inserted in the opening 36 for reinforcement.

If it is desired to produce special models for the holiday trade or the like, additional features may be provided, such as making the eye 21 in the form of suitably shaped glass beads, or if desired, a set of stickers may be included in the package in the form of eyes of different colors in order to enable the child to modify the appearance of his toy. Alternatively, movable eyes may be provided.

Still another feature which may be employed in somewhat more expensive models is the use of a separate bit such as illustrated in Fig. 8. Where a separate bit is employed, the position of the opening 36 is changed as shown at 38 in Fig. 7, in order to permit ready insertion of the bit after application of the bridle tape. Where a separate bit is desired, two bit parts 41 and 42, as illustrated in Fig. 8, are included in the package containing the piece 15 for insertion in the opening 38 by the customer when the toy is assembled. The bit includes an insert portion 41, having sharp protuberances 43, and a sleeve portion 42 attached to receive the insert portion 41 and to be gripped internally by the protuberances 43, so that the two parts 41 and 42 are locked together and provide additional means for holding the head portions 12 of the piece 15 together after assembling. As shown in Fig. 8 the pieces 41 and 42 are provided with flanges 44 adapted to bear against the outer surfaces of the sheet 15 and hold the assembly together. The bit portions 41 and 42 also include ring portions 45, representing the rings on actual bits, for use with reins 46. Thebit portions 41 and 42 may, if desired, be composed of a light metal, but satisfactory results in inexpensive form-may be obtained by molding these parts from a suitable plastic material, with the ring portions 45 integral with the remaining bit portions.

Additional features may be included in a package containing piece 15 to enable the child receiving the toy to cause his pony or the like to perform additional acts. For example, if desired, a length of rubber or plastic tubing 47, shown in Fig. 4, may be included for placing between the portions of the sheet 15 forming the head 12 and extending to the mouth 22, for enabling the pony to drink from a water receptacle, representing a Watering trough, the child, of course, supplying suction to the other end of the tubing by means of a bulb or by its own mouth or otherwise. The tubing 47 is held in place at the month end by the proximity of the muzzle portions 28 of the sheet 15 bound by the nose-band tape 27.

Another feature, as illustrated in Fig. 6, is the provision of a rubber band 48 extending from the mouth 22 to the poll 26, around the head, enabling the pony to hold bits of grass, hay, or the like 49 in its mouth and enabling the child to play that the animal is grazing.

To enable the child to cause its animal to perform additional feats or tricks, other features may be incorporated, such as a small permanent magnet 51 as shown in Fig. 5, mounted between the portions ofthe sheet 15, forming the muzzle 28, so that the pony can pick up small ferrous articles 52, or if desired, serrated pieces 54 of thin strip metal, stiff fiber, or the like as shown in Fig. 7, may be glued to the inner surfaces of the sheet 15, forming the muzzle 28, so that the teeth 55 so formed will simulate teeth of the animal and will enable the animal to hold small objects 56 within its mouth.

The tube 47 of Fig. 4 may, if desired, be enlarged at the month end to simulate a pipe so as to enable the animal to blow bubbles when the child blows into the tube 47.

If the stick or handle 10 is partially withdrawn from the head portion, some freedom of movement will be permitted the head portion or foreward end of the hobby horse, allowing the child to cause the animal to toss its head up and down by tugging at the reins.

For the winter trade, the sheet 15 may also be provided with bells mounted along the bridle-simulating strip or elsewhere, to enable the child to pretend that the animal is drawing a sleigh.

Preferably the sheet 15 is protected with a suitable waterproof substance to increase its life and cause it to be unaffected when the child plays with it in the rain, and a child may also make use of the conventional plastic bag from the kitchen for simulating a raincoat for the animal.

In cases where the toy is intended for little girls, a slit 53 may be provided at the head portion over the forelock 19 in order to permit inserting a ribbon to be tied around the forelock and matching the ribbon worn by the little girl.

The slit 53 may also be employed alone orin conjunction with another slit spaced therefrom for inserting plumes or thelike to enable the child to pretend that he is riding a circus horse.

Preferably the piece 15 is sprayed with or dipped'in flame-proofing material and non-poisonous color printing is employed. Moreover, the edges 57 are preferably bound and sealed with adhesive tape printed with the same color as the piece 15 and flame proof in order to minimize further any hazard of flash fires and to promote sanitation, so that the toy may readily be washed without retention of moisture.

Additional realism may be accomplished by utilizing felt glued to the piece 15 to form the mane 17 and leaving the lower points 58 of felt loose so as to flap as the animal tosses its head. Traffic safety may also be enhanced by coating the name 17 with fluorescent paint, applying dots of fluorescent paint to the bridle 24 or elsewhere, or using fluorescent adhesive tape to form the bridle.

I have herein shown and particularly described certain embodiments of my invention and certain methods of operation embraced therein for the purpose of explaining its principle of operation and showing its application, but I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described as it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many modifications and variations are possible.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A toy comprising a corrugated board member with a base portion and two side portions folded up from the base portion, each with an outline in the form of an animals head and neck, the base portion being sector shaped with the narrower portion forward, whereby the two side portions converge toward a muzzle portion with narrow spacing at the head portion, strips of semi-elastic adhesive tape bound around the muzzle, along the cheek from the mouth to the portions of the board behind the ear, and in front of the eye up to the forelock to simulate a bridle, the base having an opening in the rear portion thereof to receive a handle in the form of a stick of predetermined width greater than the head-portion spacing adapted to be thrust through the opening forward between the two side portions of the board member, and held in place there by the resilience of the board and the bridle-simulating tape, said handle opening being reinforced by a pair of slitted washers secured either side of the board member, and composed of rubber-like material, the slitted portion serving to grip the handle.

2. A toy comprising a corrugated board member with a base portion and two side portions, each with an outline in the form of an animals head and neck, said side portions being folded up from the base portion and sloping toward each other to a narrow spacing at the head portion thereof, strips of semi-elastic and adhering tape bound around the muzzle along the cheek from the mouth to the poll and in front of the eye up to the forelock to simulate a bridle, the base having an opening in the rear portion thereof to receive a handle in the form of a stick of predetermined width greater than the said head portion spacing adapted to be thrust through the opening forward between the two side portions of the board memher into the head portion and held in place there by the resilience of the board member and the bridle-simulating tape, said handle opening being in the form of intersecting slits whereby deformation of the material adjacent the slits is required to insert the handle and the stress of the material serves to grip the handle.

3. A toy comprising a stiff sheet member with a base portion and two side portions, each with an outline in the form of an animals head and neck, said side portions being folded up from the base portion and sloping toward each other to a narrow spacing at the head portion thereof, strips of elastic and adherent tape bound around the muzzle along the cheek from the mouth to the poll and in front of the eye up to the forelock to simulate a bridle, the base having an opening in the rear portion thereof to receive a handle in the form of a stick of predetermined width greater than said head-portion spacing adapted to being thrust through the opening forward between the two side portions of the sheet material against the head portion and held in place there by the resilience thereof and of the bridle-simulating tape, said handle opening being in the form of intersecting slits whereby deformation of the material adjacent the slits is required to insert the handle and the stress of the material serves to grip the handle.

4. A toy comprising a board member with a base portion and two converging side portions folded up from the base portion, each with an outline in the form of an animals head and neck, strips of semi-elastic and adhering tape bound around the muzzle along the check from the mouth to the poll and in front of the eye up to the forelock to simulate a bridle, the base having an opening in the rear portion thereof to receive a handle in the form of a stick of predetermined width greater than the least spacing of the converging side portions adapted to be thrust through the opening forward between the two side portions of the board member and held in place there by the resilience of the board member and the bridle-simulating tape, said handle opening being reinforced by a pair of slitted washers secured to either side of the board member and composed of rubber like material, the slitted portions serving to grip the handle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 691,266 Hill Jan. 14, 1902 953,755 Nidermaier Apr. 5, 1910 1,066,769 Waddington July 8, 1913 1,181,421 Apt May 2, 1916 1,285,037 Chance Nov. 19, 1918 1,292,191 Wiederanders Jan. 21, 1919 1,438,083 Baker Dec. 5, 1922 1,701,240 Maclean Feb. 5, 1929 1,815,070 Prahar July 21, 1931 2,129,176 Holman Sept. 6, 1938 2,585,279 Sickelbower Feb. 12, 1952 2,648,162 Moeller Aug. 11, 1953 2,659,600 Becker Nov. 17, 1953 2,690,604 Jones Oct. 5, 1954 

